With deadlines and interviews coming up for quite a few internships, you want to make sure that you’re putting your best foot forward. So what better way to stay ahead of the game than to practice your interview skills. Here are six of the best ways to ensure you do just that!
Let’s be real, the interview starts long before you even step into the room , and while you may think that interviewing isn’t anything new, really focus on each of these points.
So you’ve gotten that email or phone call and you’re through to the next stage, what do you do now?
Number one, you want those interviewers to have an idea of who you are the moment you walk in and what better way to do that than how you dress.
Pay close attention to the dress code given for your specific interview because you don’t want to show up to a casual meeting dressed in business professional. Once you’ve confirmed your dress code, you’re going to want to tweak your outfit a bit just to add a little personality. That addition could be something for the interviewers to get a better understanding of who you are or it could even be for you, as a confidence booster.
Number two, organizations want to make sure that you have a good understanding of what they’re about.
During that time frame before your interview, you want to focus on gaining some extra background information on the company/organization. Let them see that you’re interested in their work. Even if they don’t ask you any in depth questions about the organization, you can still find a way to incorporate information in your answers.
Number three, one thing you should be sure about is why you wanted to apply for the specific internship.
More often than not the question, “Why are you interested in this internship?” comes up and that is your key opportunity to show why you deserve the position or title. When crafting your answer think about what led you to complete that specific application and what getting that opportunity would mean for your growth.
Okay so you’ve done all you can do beforehand and all that’s left is to actually head to the interview, but what do you do once you’ve gotten there? Now this is where the real test begins. This is where all that knowledge you have is going to be paired with that boss outfit you have on, to make an unstoppable force.
Number four, Boss women know that time is money and that’s why number four is to make sure that you arrive early.
Arriving at least 10 minutes before your interview will cause nothing but positive outcomes for you. Your interviewer might just take note of the fact that you’re early and without realizing it, you’ve scored extra points. Even better, you’d be surprised by how much those 10 minutes could help you get any underlying nervousness in check with a quick pep talk. Trust me you’ll feel way more at ease knowing that you don’t have to do a 100m sprint into the interview room.
Number five, speaking of pep talks, your body language speaks way before you even have a chance to.
All I’m saying is when you walk into that interview they should know that this girl is about her business. Square those shoulders, put that smile on your face, and maintain eye contact. You want to maintain these three things throughout your interview. Alright, maybe you don’t want to look crazy with this huge smile on your face the entire time, but at least look pleasant and inviting.
Now we’ve made it to the last point and honestly this one is probably the most important.
Number six, be you.
Think about it, you’ve already made it this far in the selection process which means that they already like something about you. The good thing about this is that you’ve already got a pretty strong foundation and all you need to do now is build on what’s there. You’ve aced the application process, now’s the time to take that application, mix it in with your personality, and you’ll be good to go.
That’s everything you need to know, what are you waiting for? Go secure that bag sis!